Many students believe that the field of psychology is primarily about
studying people who have difficulty coping with stress or who have
mental illness. Psychologists do study these issues. Psychology is,
however, also about understanding how people perceive the world around
them, how they learn, remember and forget; and how they get motivated
to take action. Introductory Psychology I will briefly overview all
of the areas of psychology and introduce you to the science of
psychology. How do psychologists conduct research? How much of
psychology is fact? In Introductory Psychology I you will study
cognitive psychology. What methods do cognitive psychologists use to
discover how we attend to, think about and remember events? What do
psychologists know about human memory that you can use to your
advantage in your college courses? Biological psychology is an
important area in Introductory Psychology I. Students are often
surprised to learn that psychologists study questions that they might
expect a biologist to study. Do genes determine behavior? Exactly
what does the child of an alcoholic inherit that predisposes them for
alcoholism? How you learn and think and feel and behave depends on
your brain and body...therefore the questions that psychologists ask
about biology are relevant to everyone. Introductory Psychology I
also addresses core topics in the field of psychology such as how our
experiences shape our behavior. Why is it difficult to rid ourselves
of phobias that result from personal experiences? How can you
establish a successful program to modify your own behavior? What
motivates people to take goal-directed action? Why are expectations
and desires about sexual relationships so different for men and women?